The adventures of the owners, artists and visitors at the coolest art gallery in Edinburgh. Union Gallery is owned and managed by artist Alison Auldjo, and aims to bring the best contemporary art to the public, with particular emphasis on work not regularly seen elsewhere.

Monday, 19 December 2011

I admit that I wasn't fully aware that in Greek Mythology bees were considered to be messengers from Paradise: not until award-winning artist Jenny Matthewstipped me off. It makes sense really, given the importance of their role here on earth - such a shame that we don't hold them in such high regard now.

It is with this sentiment in mind that I'd like to show you what I believe to be one of Jenny Matthews'finest paintings to date:

'Skep Needle Book', acrylic on canvas, by Jenny Matthews.I think this beautiful painting more than holds its own without further comment from me, but the clincher for me is the honey-sweet story behind it. 'Skep Needle Book' was created for our exhibition 'Plight of the Bumblebee', at the same time as Jenny's parents were preparing to move house. Whilst clearing the attic of their house, Jenny's parents came across her Grandmother's needle book with a picture of an old-fashioned skep on the front - perhaps a message in itself....

Here's what a bee skep looks like:

The highly decorative jug featured in the painting belonged to Jenny's Great Aunt, and I love how both objects have been painted with such care and sensitivity. Indeed, I love this painting.

A mince pie to the first person to tell me how many bees there are in the painting....if you want a closer look, it's currently hanging in our window at the gallery.

Friday, 16 December 2011

All created by the extremely talented sculptor and knitting giant (although she's tiny), Hannah Haworth.
Last Christmas we displayed Hannah's spellbinding and large scale installation, 'The Hunt' and it thrilled all who viewed it. This year we are lucky enough to have 2 beautiful knitted doves from Hannah which again are proving to be a big hit.

'Doves', handy dyed silk yarn and merino wool by Hannah Haworth.

Hannah knitted each feather (of which there's over 100) individually and then seamed them together to create the tail and wings. That's a lot of knitting and sewing people! The doves bodies were then wired to create a sense of movement and flight.
When The Hunt was here last year I practically lived in the gallery. I couldn't get enough of them.
This year, on the arrival of the 'doves from above', I couldn't resist the chance of getting some cuddles (they are super soft) in early, and so took them home for a night before the Christmas opening.
Here they are:

I had to be extremely careful ofUG hounds Tommy and Harry who were more than a little interested. Eek, perish the thought!
Naughty doggies:

The Doves, at £120 each, would make an ideal and very beautiful present for someone special this Christmas, as would many of the superb paintings on display. We are open until the 23rd so you have plenty time to come in and pick your favourite.

Saturday, 3 December 2011

We thought that, as Edinburgh prepares to go Panda mad this weekend with the long anticipated arrival of Tian Tian and Yang Guang (Little Sweetie and Ray of Light to you and me), we would show you something to celebrate.

Nothing could be more fitting than this:

'The Relaxing Pleasure of Shitting in the Woods', oil, beeswax and enamel on board, by Derek McGuire.

Genius! And an all-time favourite by Derek McGuire.

Still three days left to come and see Alison Auldjo's stunning solo exhibition..... The perfect way to warm you up on this cold, cold weekend.

Thursday, 24 November 2011

The title of this blog is a little misleading. It should be called 'The Secret Lives of Artists' Partners' but it didn't look so good when I typed it in.....

You probably know that our current exhibition is a solo one of work by my wife and business partner, Alison Auldjo, entitled 'Gone to Earth'- and very beautiful it is too. As well as the bountiful praise that has been heaped on the work there have been some supeb reviews - just reward for such an artistic tour de force.

Much has been made of how Alison fought with the work and how that has been transferred onto the canvas, but I though I might give you a little insight into how the process of creating an exhibition affects the artist's nearest and dearest. Those of you who are close to an artist may just recognise some of my thoughts on the matter.

It is impossible for anyone to really appreciate the stress, angst and downright grumpiness of the artist at work until you have experienced it yourself. Alison and I have been married for 18 months, and at least 12 of those months have been a living hell because of the impending storm that is 'Gone to Earth'. Night after night of tantrums, self-doubt and the searching for reassurance take their toll on you - even more so because as a mere bystander there is very little you can do about it. Of course, you can remind the talented one just how good they are, and you can give an inciteful critique of the work as it emerges, but it really won't help - trying to convince an artist that they are doing the right thing is like trying to convince a banker that they shouldn't take their bonus; even if they know you're right they won't listen. Here's the maestro at just such a moment:

A tired and emotional Alison Auldjo in her studio.Of course, there are great highs when a work is completed or is coming along well, but even that is fraught with danger. You cannot avoid the 'does my bum look big in this' moment when you try and be constructive but nothing you say will be right! The world of the artist, bearing their soul for all to see, is a confusing one for those of us who are not that way inclined.....I am relieved that I only have to go through it by association.

The end result, however, is an exhibition of astonishingly powerful and beautiful paintings that mean even more to me because I truly appreciate what it has taken to create them. Visitors to the gallery are responding so well to the work that it fills me with pride and not a little emotion. Just have a look at this:

'Safety in Numbers', oil on canvas, by Alison Auldjo

And this:

'Into the Wilderness', oil on canvas, by Alison Auldjo

And finally, at this:

'Open Spaces', oil on canvas, by Alison Auldjo

If you haven't been in to see the work, you really should before the exhibition closes on 5th December - it is an exhibition full of subtlety and beauty.

The exhibition may have had a painful birth, but it was worth it and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Saturday, 19 November 2011

We have some more insightful words about Alison Auldjo's solo exhibition, Gone to Earth, from those in the know. Firstly from brilliant abstract artist Trevor Jones:

'Rarely, if ever, has a great gallery owner also been a great artist. Check out the latest exhibition @UNIONgallery1 - Alison Auldjo has pulled out all the stops and put on an absolutely stunning and inspiring show. Congrats to Alison and also to the Union Gallery for breaking all the rules!'

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

I just wanted to share a few words that mean a lot to me concerning my solo exhibition, 'Gone to Earth'.

Running an art gallery is a very special job and I consider it quite an honour. We get to exhibit the work of many exceptional talents and take our role in the career of these talents very seriously, seeing it as a privilege to be part of that. However, at UG we believe that our relationship with many artists is not purely about the business of art,
and that you form a bond or a partnership with those you work with.

That is why the the thoughts of outstanding artist Dylan Lisle are important to me, and when he writes about my work I sit up and listen. This entry on his blog means a great deal to me:

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

There's a good chance that you've already seen Alan McIntosh's brilliant review of Alison's beautiful exhibition, Gone to Earth, but if you haven't just follow the line below. It is a superb piece of writing that Alison feels sums up her work better than she can:

http://www.broughtonspurtle.org.uk/news/gone-earth Here's a look at another of the works in this exhibition, which I do hope you all get the chance to come and see.

'The Longest Day with Angel, Devil and a Hare', oil on canvas, by Alison Auldjo.

Friday, 11 November 2011

Alison's solo exhibition, 'Gone to Earth', opens tonight. Be prepared for a real feast for the eyes!

'Silent Observers of the Passing Seasons', oil on canvas, by Alison Auldjo.

"I would describe my work as a personal response to, and need of, the landscape as a means of release, appreciation and escapism.
My paintings are not necessarily traditional or representational and it is only recently I have realised that there is an important element of autobiography in the work. I turn to, and rely on, the landscape to express emotions. I find that it is in natural surroundings that I can realise my inner most feelings: be they joy, uncertainty or longing. Often I deliberately seek out the remotest places, or most comforting, to reflect upon and record important developments in my life.
I find landscape matches my ideas and my “style” of painting very well - it is endless, full of possibility and non-restrictive. There is also an obvious, untampered beauty in the landscape that one can only aspire too. I strive and embrace the challenge of achieving painterly qualities. I like paintings that demonstrate how the work was fought with and nurtured. I like “battle scars”, mark-making and layers of thought. I tend to stop at nothing to achieve the effects I want.

The majority of work in this exhibition was produced in the summer, in a small wooden chalet near the Solway Firth. It is a place that I have visited many times to make work and, although it may sound like an idyllic setting, the actual process was hell for me. On speaking to a regular visitor to the gallery recently, he made a comment about artists producing their best work when they are under pressure and in times of need. Perhaps that’s true but in the time I spent there, I forced myself to reflect upon, and get to grips with, what my work is actually about and that led me to some pretty dark places. Having spent so much time getting inside the ‘zones’ of other artists and working out what makes them tick, I knew I had to force myself to do the same thing. It was a very stressful and emotional experience that I would not choose to go through again (although I know I will), but ultimately out of that experience came some of the strongest paintings in the exhibition and, I believe, some of the best work I have ever produced.

This exhibition is titled ‘Gone to Earth’, after the Mary Webb novel of the same name, and I have tried to use the landscape as a metaphor for the need of artists and, indeed, the wider public to support each other and help each other in these difficult economic and social times. With titles such as ‘Safety in Numbers’ and ‘Run and Hide’, much of this new work has a melancholy feel to it and perhaps an edge of uncertainty - a comment on the situation in which we find ourselves – yet even in these dark times there is still beauty to be found."

Saturday, 5 November 2011

I hope that you're all enjoying the beautiful autumn weather we've been having this week, and that it's keeping you in a positive frame of mind. If not, then you still have 3 days left to come and see some beautiful paintings inspired by autumn at the gallery, and they are guaranteed to inspire you.

One of the artists exhibiting is gallery regular Mark Nichols Edward, whose instantly recognisable paintings of exotic fish are always so popular. In fact, we are lucky enough to own a superb Mark Edward painting ourselves. His paintings seem to have an extremely calming and positive effect on all who view them: just this morning a client commented that he felt he could put his hand into the painting and actually stroke the fish - what a lovely concept. Mark's work is constantly developing with new techniques and concepts appearing all the time, but it has to be said that for this exhibition he has really excelled himself, producing what I believe to be his best work so far. just take a look at this:

'Genji I', acrylic on canvas, by Mark Nicholas Edward.A real beauty, isn't it? One of a series of 9 Genji paintings we have in the gallery.

Mark always uses interesting titles, and the use of Genji is no exception. Genji, a story written by the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibuin the early 11th century, is generally considered to be the world's first novel. In very, very simple terms it is a tale of love and passion that follows the lives of many characters from childhood to old age. It documents how they change and develop over that time, and Mark has long likened this to the changing of the seasons - how appropriate for an exhibition entitled The Onslaught of Autumn. Just like his meticulous paintings, his use of such a title is thoughtful and clever.

Saturday, 29 October 2011

One of the great artists currently exhibiting in The Onslaught of Autumn is the fabulous Hazel Cashmore. Hazel was one of the very first artists that we showed here, and our love of her work grows every time we see more of it.

Hazel's use of colour and texture gives her paintings an amazing sense of depth and space. None more so than this:

'A Spacious Place (on the Flows)', acrylic on board, by Hazel Cashmore.
The Flow Country in Caithness refers to an ancient and unique environment of blanket bogland - the largest in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in the world. It is frequently referred to as The Last Real Wilderness in the United Kingdom. The terrain consists of vast acres of wetland where moss, cotton grass and other vegetation grow. Hazel, who lives locally, is attracted to the vast spaces and beautiful vegetation with subtle but rich colours, backdropped by the huge Caithness sky .

How lucky we are that a painter as gifted as Hazel Cashmore happens to live in such a stunning environment so that she can record it for us in her own unique way. This is just one of four of her paintings currently in the gallery. They are all worthy of spending some time with.Hopefully you will get the time to do just that before the exhibition closes.

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

The new exhibition, 'The Onslaught of Autumn', has got off to a flying start with a very well attended preview last Thursday, and lots of interest in the beautiful paintings we are showing.

One of the artists that is enjoying a particularly high amount of attention is Tadeusz Deregowski.

Born in Zambia, raised and educated in Scotland and now living in Brazil, Tadeusz Deregowski is one of a rare breed of artists.

He lives a truly nomadic existence, travelling the world with his portable kit, painting those things that interest and inspire him. Deregowski creates a painting every day, wherever he is in the world, and stores them in his home made cases so he can move them even when still wet. Trained at Edinburgh College of Art, he is a fine artist in one of the oldest of artistic traditions – that of the traveller painting what he finds around him. He is a painter of the highest quality creating beautiful little paintings, each of which is dated for the day it was produced.

Have a look at this:

'View from B&B, Elgin (11 July)' oil on board, by Tadeusz Deregowski.

And this little beauty:

'On the way to Nethy Bridge (17 July)', oil on board, by Tadeusz Deregowski.

The subjects which appeal to me most are places which are in some way hidden or mysterious: one of the central functions of art for me is the revealing of secrets. Cities which are seldom visited or the places off the tourist circuit hold more interest to me than more obvious sights, and I love to use art as a form of, and motivation for, exploration. Similarly, I love to use portraiture as a way of studying people in their environments, attempting to show their inner lives.

I see my work in the line of both travel painter-diarists such as Edward Lear or Turner, and expressionist painters such as Bonnard or Joan Eardley: I have a little portable kit with which I can easily transport materials and wet paintings.

I have a daily routine of producing postcard-sized or even credit-card sized paintings on card. These are painted plein-air using oils.

The idea of being a sort of itinerant, travelling painter, a la Turner, is one that I find immensely appealing, combining as it does the roles of explorer, artist and holidaymaker. I intend to spend a considerable amount of time in the future pursuing longer and longer trips. Next I shall go to the UK, after that I’d love to visit the USA again, Chile, Iran, the Caucuses, Japan and more of Brazil.

I currently live in Florianopolis, in southern Brazil, but I often travel, usually to Europe or within Latin America.’

A great painter in the finest traditions.

More to follow on the other fine artists who have contributed to 'The Onslaught of Autumn'.

Sunday, 9 October 2011

Bees! Bees! Hark to your bees!"Hide from your neigbours as much as you please,But all that has happened, to us you must tell,Or else we will give you no honey to sell!"

A maiden in her glory,
Upon her wedding - day,
Must tell her Bees the story,
Or else they'll fly away.
Fly away -- die away --
Dwindle down and leave you!
But if you don't deceive your Bees,
Your Bees will not deceive you.

Marriage, birth or buryin',
News across the seas,
All you're sad or merry in,
You must tell the Bees.
Tell 'em coming in an' out,
Where the Fanners fan,
'Cause the Bees are just about
As curious as a man!

Don't you wait where the trees are,
When the lightnings play,
Nor don't you hate where Bees are,
Or else they'll pine away.
Pine away -- dwine away --
Anything to leave you!
But if you never grieve your Bees,
Your Bees'll never grieve you.

'The Bee', byRudyard Kipling

Last two days to enjoy our beautiful exhibition, Plight of the Bumblebee, before it buzzes off into history. Come along and enjoy!

Sunday, 2 October 2011

Along with all the fabulous bee paintings in the gallery this month, there are some interesting and unusual sculptures that have also been specially created for the Plight of the Bumblebee exhibition.

'Precious' is a work by Czech artist Marcela Trsova, who you may remember by her fabulous ''Sea of Souls' installation earlier this year. Marcela is a highly creative and imaginative artist who likes to use natural materials in her work. 'Precious' is made largely from black beeswax - unusual in this country, and created from the type of heather the bees pollinate:

'Precious', black beeswax and gold wire, by Marcela Trsova.Each ball represents an element of the cycle of life, with the ancient symbols of the Seed, the Flower and the Fuit of Life depicted in the gold wire.

I'll let Marcela take up the story:

'The bees are an important part of food chain as without the pollination there will be no fruit, vegetables or cereals for us to eat. There are other pollinators in nature such as flies and wasps but bees remain the most important, espeacially for industrial agriculture.
In the piece I have created for the Plight of the Bumblebee exhibition I wanted to emphasize the importance of the bees in plants life cycle. To do so I used the ancient symbols of The Seed, The Flower and The Fruit of Life. They are considered to be one of the key parts of sacred geometry and have been used in many different cultures. They are also said to contain the values and the fundemental forms of space and life.

I feel the beautiful geometry of the designs is also related to the amazing organisational efficiency of the bees and geometrically perfect construction of honeycombes.
The design gets more complex as the plant cycle progresses, The Seed of Life being the simplest one. The symbols are drawn with gold plated wire and are embedded into the natural black bee wax spheres. The wax is dark because the pollen collected by the bees comes from heather moors, by using the gold wire I wanted to express the preciousness of the bees.'

And here are the individual elements up close:

'The Seed of Life'

'The Flower of Life', and:

'The Fruit of Life'

Like all the artists who have created work for this exhibition,Marcela has really thought about the issue of the declining bee population and really gone the extra mile to produce something relevant, interesting and beautiful.Thereis still a week to go, so you have plenty of time to come in and view this inspirational and poignant exhibition.

Friday, 30 September 2011

I'd like to introduce you to the splendid work of UG's youngest ever exhibiting artists....

I would like to say a special thank you to 6 year old Daisy May, granddaughter of landscape painter Hazel Cashmore, whose exceptional work is coming up next month. Hazel sent me a picture of a gorgeous painting that Daisy May did last year and I was amazed by it. So, Daisy May gave me the idea to invite some of UG's artists' children to participate in the Plight of The Bumblebee exhibition. The excellent results are as follows:

'Happy Bee' by 6 year old Daisy May.and

'Buzzy Bees' by 6 year old Ishbel Moore.
and

'Bees and Baskets' by 9 year old Eleanor Horton.
and

'Bees, Unicorn and Pink Pony' by 5 year old Jessie McGuire.
What a refreshing and wonderful insight into the worlds of young children! Apologies to young SuzannaHorton that I am unable to supply an image of her artwork, but the proud new owner was so keen to get it home that I didn't get time to photograph it.
The real magic and joy about these paintings is that the children earned a little pocket money whilst doing something they enjoyed, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust got some funds too, but more importantly the children learned a valuable lesson about the importance of our beautiful bees.

If you are in our neck of the woods tomorrow then pop in between 12-2 as Ooh Fashion are having a launch party. You can enjoy a glass of fizz and see what we have all been up to.

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

In my last post I mentioned the amazing feedback we are receiving about the 'Plight of the Bumblebee' exhibition, and how impressed people have been with the commitment and enthusiasm demonstrated by the artists exhibiting. So I'd like to take a closer look at the work of another of these great artists, Sally Ann Johns.

I distinctly remember the first time I met Sally, and the first time I was introduced to her work. My reaction was an instant 'Wow! This is very different', and there was no doubt that this was work I'd be proud to show. Sally's work is influenced by the iconography of the Catholic and Apostolic Churches, with her often stylised subjects surrounded by painstakingly applied gold leaf, presented in their own hand-crafted cases. They become more than a work of art - they become 'precious artefacts', as Sally describes them.
Let's take a look at these precious artifacts:

There's a certain time in the afternoon when the sun (if it's kind enough to put in an appearance) hits Sally's work and the result is quite spectacular - it glows and is something to behold. I should note the exact time so that we could arrange viewings of this spectacular show! However, what has really impressed me and many others is Sally's individual care and attention to detail. She has actually gone to the trouble of researching and pairing off her honeybees and bumblebees with their favourite flowers:

'Bumblebee I', pastel and gold leaf on board, by Sally Ann Johns.This flower is the Common Centuary, or Centaurium Erythraea.And:

'Honeybee I', pastel and gold leaf on board, by Sally Ann Johns.A honeybee on a Purple-stemmed Aster, or Symphyotrichum Puniceum.

Very clever: not only has Sally created some very beautiful works of art, she has gone the extra mile to ensure that her carefully crafted subjects will live in happiness within an eternal vacuum of gold leaf.

Saturday, 24 September 2011

So as the summer draws to a close and autumn slaps us in the face, I've been thinking about the bees and insects and their continuing plight, which is made even harder as conditions harshen.

In the lead up to this exhibition I had done some swatting up on bees and the problems they (and all insects) face, and how we can help. I'm even taking steps to make my garden more bee and butterfly friendly. If you want any tips, just ask me!

So I've learnt a fascinating fact or two about the bees, and I can even identify (at very close range) the odd species. However, I can't claim to have studied the bees and butterflies in half as much detail as award-winning artist Jenny Matthews.

This is a great photo of Jenny visiting the hives at Edinburgh University's King Buildings. Jenny explains that a beekeepers suit does not actually prevent you from being stung - only from being stung to death. Reasuring I know, but surely there's a bit of a design flaw there. Still, I suppose we must all suffer for our art!

Indeed, such was the committment of Jenny Matthews to this exhibition that her husband, Pierre, tells me that she adopted unusual behavoiral patterns such as dashing off in mid conversation having spotted a particular butterfly or bee. The following photos show Jenny researching and hard at work:

In the Pentlands, and:

In the Botanic Gardens.

So basically, Jenny Matthews spent her summer throwing herself into this project and I am very grateful to her, as I am to all the artists who have contributed to the exhibition. The results of her work are outstanding, and this shows:

The feedback on this exhibition has been extraordinary and very encouraging, and so far we have raised £700 for The Bumblebee Conservation Trust. This is great news and proves that, even in these difficult times, it is still important to give something back where you can, especially as all charities are struggling just now.

I will end by wishing you all a happy weekend and, if you're very, very lucky, next time I will share with you some of the secrets behind my favourite Jenny Matthews painting to date:

Saturday, 17 September 2011

Some of you will remember the amazing installation 'The Hunt' by Hannah Haworth that we were lucky enough to have in the gallery last December. A magnificent knitted work of life-size dogs pulling a sledge.

Such is Hannah's love of the natural world, and such is her talent as an artist, she was one of the very first people we approached to contribute to the current exhibition, Plight of the Bumblebee. And, in her usual manner, she set about creating something special for us. Here is the result:

A stunning army of life-size knitted bumblebees, 50 in total, which currently adorn our window sill. They are made from merino wool, kindly donated by suppliers Malabrigo, and are perfect in every way. Just have a look at this:

Hannah became a little obsessed with accuracy, and we are hugely grateful for all the work she put into this project.

Sadly for those of you who fancy a perfect little knitted bee, they are not for sale. When you buy an artwork from this exhibition to support the bees, we are happy to give you one as a thank you. Numbers are dwindling already.....

Hannah also produced a limited run of 5 Honeybee Woodcuts that are also showing this month. Each is numbered and unique, as well as being beautifully formed: